AURELIUS - Pheasant under grass may sound offbeat, but for members of the Finger Lakes chapter of Pheasants Forever, it's their main objective.

“Pheasants roost on the ground during the night. And hawks and coyotes get them without grass cover,” said Tom Piasak, vice president and habitat chairman of the group, which met at Bass Pro Shops Monday night. “Foxes, raccoons and owls will find them. They also nest in the grass.”

Formed in 1989 by concerned sportsmen, the organization devotes itself to fattening the pheasant population by raising funds to restore the natural grassland habitat the birds need to survive, including areas within the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.

“The late '70s really saw a big hit to the populations in New York,” said Piasak, drawing a direct correlation with the vanishing of fallow fields. “Most don't make it to one year of age.”

What population exists in the area is due mainly to the stocking of the species from chicks raised in shelter. Pheasants Forever provides corn and feed for a small fee for sympathetic landowners who wish to help the once indigenous birds get by.

“When's the last time someone saw a pheasant that looks like he survived through the winter?” asked Virgil Perry, chapter president. “One of the things pheasants need to survive is grasslands.”

Up for discussion was how to raise funding to make that happen in the upcoming year, together with increasing the group's membership. Somewhat skeptical of continuing the 10-year tradition of holding a banquet with auction, Perry called out for other suggestions.

With time, he explained, the auctions, typically consisting of framed depictions of birds for the most part, have started to become obsolete.

“After a decade, most of us run out of wall space,” he said.

A $5 skeet shoot for a round of five, with free tickets earned for each hit, toward a raffle drawing of prizes, was suggested by Bob Hazelton, former founding president. Hazelton is a member of the Ruffed Grouse Club which uses the DeWitt Rod and Gun Club to stage the event.

“We have a ball,” he said.